Scene Zero
by Seena58
Summary: Day by day, the world is breaking apart. Why are they the ones attempting to fix it? "I don't know, I don't know anymore." :AU, eventual Greece/Japan, various:
1. One

**Disclaimer:** Hetalia is (c) Himaruya Hidekaz. This is just fanfiction.

**Warnings:** Alternate universe (AU), use of human names for characters that have them, violence, infrequent coarse language.

**A/N:** Believe me when I say I have almost no idea as to what's going on in my own mind? Then again, it's not like this sort of thing is really new to me… (Eventual Greece/Japan, and possibly Asian-family!centric as well. Various other characters/pairings may or may not appear, depending on how things go.)

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**Scene Zero  
One**

Blowing into his hands and rubbing them together, Kiku straightened up as the sky before him darkened with each passing second. Had it been any other day, he would have taken the time to appreciate the scenery before him, the mishmash of colours a wondrous sight, completely unobscured by the buildings below thanks to his position.

Instead, he flexed his fingers experimentally, looking past the view, while the communicator latched to his belt buzzed an incoming call. The possibility of ignoring it was toyed with, briefly, even as he pressed a button to accept it. Static flowed for a moment, before a familiar voice filtered through;

"_-frequency is as good as it'll ever get- Hey, Kiku, can you hear us?_" Despite the fact that they were all aware of how dire the situation was, it seemed the person on the other end refused to be burdened by it. Somehow, it was a trait Kiku could not help but envy at times.

"Yes, it's rather quiet out here." _Too quiet, even_, was what he wanted to add; four hours had passed since his decision to take a position on the rooftop (on a building whose contents he cared little of) and it was as if the world below had died. A reality that had forgotten all about him, leaving him in a place that did not truly exist in either state of mind… Kiku shoved the thoughts away, to be scrutinised at a later date; "I haven't seen anything remotely suspicious, either."

"_You sure? I swear, there was a high level of disturbance at-_"

"_Yong Soo, you were just supposed to check to see if it works. I'll take it from here, aru._"

There was the sound of scuffling, followed by a sharp crack as the communicator on the other end hit the floor, causing Kiku to wince. It was a strange feeling, to hear their voices from somewhere above, as if he was eavesdropping on them.

"_But Yao-!_"

"_Don't argue with me; you have to keep an eye on Hong Kong's position. Last thing we need is to lose him as well._"

"Wha-?" The question sprang from Kiku unbidden, though he knew no one could hear him. He resisted the urge to yell; sound travelled far, after all, and past experience had taught him never to underestimate his surroundings (even so high up, one could never tell if they really were alone or not).

Static filled his ears before stopping abruptly, before Yao spoke up; "_So you're absolutely certain nothing suspicious has been sighted, aru?_" His voice was as calm as ever, Kiku noted, though he was sure the Chinese man was pacing back and forth, free hand toying with the switchblade he carried for emergencies (and doubled as a substitute stress ball).

He moved as close to the edge of the building as he could, squatting as a sharp gust of wind threatened to unbalance him; it seemed to take a hold of the scarf he wore, whipping it upwards, as if it had a life of its own. Kiku bit his lip as he considered his reply, "The scanner picked up some hiccups in the atmosphere, but they happened consistently, so I am positive they are nothing to be concerned over. But… has anything happened on your side?"

"_Hm?_" Yao hummed back, question enough to stop him in his tracks, if not solely out of confusion, "_Ah, you would have heard that, of course. No, we haven't lost anyone yet; I was referring to a sudden power outage two hours back, aru, though it was completely out of our control. Then again, Vietnam's position still has me worried._" A somewhat bitter laugh cut through at this, preventing Kiku from replying as the other continued, "_This is ridiculous. The entire concept is ridiculous and we're trapped like flies, Kiku._"

"They did transfer us rather abruptly," he agreed, attempting to keep his voice level, even as the laughter continued on the other side, "and were intentionally vague as to their reasons why."

"_Yes, I've been thinking about that, aru. Might have to ask Thailand if he has any time to pay them a visit in the near future-…_"

Kiku shook his head, despite knowing that it would go unseen, "For now, we should focus on the actual problem at hand; they will still be there, but a single mistake on our side could end in our deaths."

There was no reply to his words, though the laughter had finally stopped. Somewhere, far off in the distance, Kiku was almost certain he could hear the _tap-tap-tap_ping of some unidentifiable object, and unconsciously reached for his kunai.

"… _I wonder if the family was cursed like this,_" Yao eventually mused, conversationally, "_Really, who wants to die because of such things-_" He was cut off abruptly with an undignified yelp.

"_Kiku, we've got a distorted reading in your vicinity,_" Yong Soo said, even as the tapping sound of his keyboarding overrode Yao's talk of people's manners lacking.

Standing up, kunai cold in his hand, Kiku could only look out to a building in the distance; "I see it." What had started out to be a suspicious haze, as it seemed to consume the top of the area, had already begun to fluctuate: unnatural sparks formed a rough circle in the sky, while the small reading device latched to his belt buzzed insistently, rising in pitch with each passing second. There was no need for him to check it to know what it said.

"_Looks like a Level One, so you shouldn't have any problems with it. But Viet's got a Level Four in formation, so-…_"

"Understood. Moving out." With a _click_, Kiku clipped the transmitter back onto his belt, even as he took a couple of steps back from the edge. He closed his eyes for a moment, to clear his mind of all unnecessary thought, and took a deep breath, air cold in his lungs.

The sparks had connected, a crackle in an otherwise quiet night, illuminating the darkness that surrounded them; Kiku opened his eyes, watching the spectral before him for a moment longer before he made a running leap once he reached the edge of the building.

Calculations and instinct honed over the years came into play as he managed to land on the adjacent building, blessed by a generally still night. He did not stop, though, finding a rhythm as he leapt from building to building, gaining speed as the bizarre excuse of a portal loomed before him.

It was impossible to ignore the noises that filled his ears now; the crackling of electricity (or something incredibly close to it), and low murmurs that were not quite human, yet could not be brushed away as animalistic.

As he made the final jump to where his target was located – vaulting neatly over a huge signboard – Kiku's eyes sought through the huge circle of distortion that stretched out before him, catching sight of a single, clawed hand groping the flat surface before it.

The kunai slammed into it, as he landed mere inches from where the distortion began. Ignoring the unseen force that attempted to drag him in, Kiku reached back for his katana, even as the hand ripped backwards into safety, blood spilling as the kunai remained lodged in the concrete surface. A part of him might have felt sympathy for such a reckless move, but as another dark shape seemed to spill out of the distortion, he focused on that instead.

He knew he only had seconds before the creature before him became accustomed to the atmosphere, and took not time to slash into it. As it reeled back, he twisted, using the flat of his blade to urge it back from where it had come from; an inhumane shriek filled his ears, as something sharp raked his outstretched arm before the creature was sucked back in. Kiku bit his lip at the sharp jolt of pain that resulted in the action, as his eyes caught hold of a separate distortion right before him.

With his uninjured arm, he reached for another kunai as a face materialised before him. Dark eyes stared back at him, pale face framed by shoulder length hair, even as clawed hands groped for a solid hold before it.

It gave a shriek of pain, perhaps a curse in its language, when he brought the kunai down between its eyes. While clawed hands instantly moved towards its face, Kiku pulled back, stepping to the side as blood spilled onto the ground and the creature retreated.

Other, smaller shapes had materialised out of his range – almost like balloons above his head, though clawed feet and scaly wings said so much – but Kiku chose to ignore them. It would not be long before more attempted to step out, possibly enough to overwhelm him, so he took the chance to locate the item that had acted as a catalyst in opening the portal before him.

It was in the temporary lull that he became aware of the communicator once more, and he bit his lip, resisting the urge to snap into it; "What is it?"

"_Ignore the Level One, aru. You're needed at Level Four's location; move it!_"

The urgency in Yao's tone (alongside the change of orders) could only mean one thing, though Kiku could only mutter a vague apology in reply. He could not ignore his initial mission, after all, and it was not like it would take long for him to clean up either, as he nudged the pearl-like object he had just come across.

He could see more shapes trying to get across, and in such situations, formalities could be ignored; taking only a moment to wipe away the excess blood on his hands to make sure his grip remained steady, Kiku raised the katana over his head.

As soon as the point of the blade made direct contact with the pearl, the effects were instantaneous: the space around him seemed to fluctuate violently, as everything within its vicinity was sucked in. Kiku kept the katana buried point-first in the ground, resisting the pull, as he reached back for one of the many paper charms he carried with him.

When the world seemed to right itself at an instant – charm burnt through the centre – Kiku could only re-sheath his katana and apply pressure to his injured arm. Leaving the scene of chaos, with only a brief reminder to self to return afterwards, Kiku sought out the quickest route back to ground level. It did not take him long to realise it was impossible, though, as he instead peered below to check for window ledges while he calculated the distance.

_Wasn't it suicidal with only one hand, though?_

Even as the thought occurred to him, it was a split second too late as he swung down, the rush of air almost a comfort to him (in a way, a reminder of when he had been younger). A brief notion that he was about to die from jumping off a twelve storey building was forced out of his mind as he managed to grasp onto an open ledge.

It was a brief respite, though, as his fingers slid, the momentum too much for him to stop, and he was plummeting once more. The possible thought of _fuck it_ may have happened then and there – though Kiku would never admit it out loud – as he reverted to the next possible option in his current circumstances. The question as to whether or not his grappling hook could manage it was hard to say, though it was not like he had many choices left.

So the fact that he didn't break any bones, upon literally crashing into an open dumpster, was nothing short of a miracle; the pain that jolted through him, however, might have said otherwise. Kiku did his best to ignore it as he jumped over the side, though his legs gave way and he allowed himself a moment to just sit there, forcing the air into his lungs.

The reading device was in clear overdrive, rising to a tinny pitch that indicated readings over its capacity. As he created a makeshift bandage with the aid of his shirt, Kiku opened communication lines once more.

"There's too much disruption here; I need a guide-"

"_Why aren't you there already-?!_" It came as no surprise that the device was wrestled out of Yao's grip.

"_You aren't too far from it, though I suppose all the wailing isn't helping any,_" Yong Soo's voice held a certain forced calm that alerted Kiku at an instant; "_Just get yourself back to the main road and I'll tell you where to go from there._"

"What's going on?" he shot back, even as he stood up and, after lurching forward unsteadily for a moment, picked up the pace when his balance returned, "Isn't Hong Kong closer to Vietnam's location? Even if it is a Four…"

"_Already sent him over, but it's not enough._" The tap of keys filled the static between lines as Kiku twisted around a bin someone had left in the centre of the alleyway.

"What do you mea-"

"_You're looking at a Level Seven._"

Kiku almost forgot to stop walking before he hit the main road itself, while cars continued to zoom pass, oblivious to the destruction above and around them; "A- _what?_"

"_No time to explain; just go the way I tell you to._" Yong Soo replied shortly.

The urge to snap back almost had Kiku reply to the Korean, even though he knew it was a stupidly immature move. Yet the directions that flowed through, in what was practically a laundry list, forced his concentration elsewhere; Yong Soo was not one to repeat himself in these situations, after all.

He knew he was close when he felt the jerk of his limbs, an unnatural urge to be pulled into something he had yet to see, accompanied by the almost animalistic screams that filled the air. A couple of passer-bys stared at him – though there was an almost glassy look in their eyes, as they contemplated the sudden urge to walk to someplace they knew nothing of – but he ignored them, opting to turn into another alleyway.

Deeper in, as darkness was penetrated by both unnatural and artificial light, Kiku was greeted by a sight he knew he would never get used to on a personal level.

The portal was almost indiscernible from its surroundings, though the distortion present (_the irresistible pull_) was stronger, much more than his dealings with the one of the rooftop. The shift of movement to his side caused Kiku to turn, catching sight of Hong Kong as he wiped a torn sleeve across his face, broken tonfa in hand.

A quick, sweeping glance of the battlefield, at the still bodies that lay on the ground in bloody pools, he almost believed that Vietnam had already fallen. Then one of the forms on the ground stirred, pushing itself up slowly, before lurching forward with uncanny speed.

The crack of a gunshot managed to slice over the screams, as Vietnam stumbled out from behind the shattered remains of what had probably been scaffolding for the building she used to support herself. At the reassurance that she was, in some way, still alive was enough to galvanise Kiku back into action, even as Hong waved a hand at him, discarding the useless remains of his tonfa.

Tossing the younger teen a kunai in reply, Kiku unsheathed his katana once more before he pushed forward, each step calculated so that he could not stumble into _it_, that which wanted to drag him in. _Overhead, down, the side-_ It was an almost mechanical process, as the majority of creatures already out in the open had been dealt with by Vietnam; she had done a thorough job, save for the finishing blow.

Yet he could see more making their way through the thin strip of distortion – a blink of the eyes and it would vanish, slipping in and out of existence – and even with back-up, if they did not close the gate soon, they would be overwhelmed. And if that were to happen, the authorities would-…

Claws dug into his leg, one creature attempting to drag him down through sheer force; through the sharp pain (the horrible suspicion that it would shatter his bones in time) Kiku managed to stab downwards, using his free leg to try and kick it away. His injured leg gave way, though, and he clenched his teeth.

_So close, so close and yet…_ They had made little progress. It was not their job to fight whatever came from the other side, after all, but to stop it all together.

"Hong Kong, move back!" His throat was dry, as they danced before death's door, and he would not have been surprised if all the younger teen managed was a blank, uncomprehending look in reply. Kiku could only hope that he would listen, though, even as his hands clasped around the explosive latched to his belt.

Yong Soo had said it was still in its testing stages, a prototype that needed adjustments, and yet Kiku could not help but take it with him; _just in case_. But to use it at point blank range was clearly _suicide_ and yet-

"Kiku, what are you-?" The rest of Vietnam's demand was cut short as Kiku yanked the pin and threw the object.

It exploded upon impact, throwing everyone within its range back with a force that knocked their breath away. Even as flames licked at anything it could reach, wayward sparks crept along the ground, honing in on something no one could see, even if they had been in any condition to do so.

In the silence that followed – though not really, as the crackle of fire continued to surround them, not yet a complete threat – one could almost believe they heard something break; a tinkle of fine china hitting the ground. And like that, the pulling force that had been coaxing them into an unseen world vanished, a clear sign that Test Subject X-318 had been a success in what it had been created for.

Kiku never had a chance to stand up, back aching from being thrown into the nearest wall, before Vietnam jumped on him; bloody hands grabbed part of his shirt and scarf as she shook him violently.

"_What were you thinking, Kiku?_" She demanded harshly, and he could see the cuts on her face, the slashes on her arms and- _how was she even conscious?_ "That was- You're not the rash one, otherwise they'd have never allowed you to do the fieldwork! How can you even-"

She stopped abruptly, hacking violently as she turned away. One hand let go as she covered her mouth, even as Hong Kong stumbled towards them both. Giving Kiku an unreadable look, he took a hold of Vietnam's other hand and untangled them from the folds of Kiku's clothes, even as he reached for something on his belt.

There was a _click_, "Yong Soo, call for an ambulance."

The Korean obviously replied in the positive as Hong Kong shoved the communicator away while Kiku eased himself back up. Once he was completely certain his injured leg was not about to give up on him, he took Vietnam's other hand – allowed her to glare at him (because, really, he had no way to defend himself over such a _stupid_ action) – and the pair helped her to stand up.

Without another word, the trio left the scene of chaos, where corpses lay, surrounded by flames. Of things that were not quite human, yet were completely aware of their actions, from a place they knew nothing about: a nightmare they had lived with their entire lives, in which they would have to return to later.

But they had completed their task for the night; for now, they could pretend it did not exist at all.


	2. Two

**Disclaimer:** Hetalia is (c) Himaruya Hidekaz. This is just fanfiction.

**Warnings:** Alternate universe (AU), use of human names for characters that have them.

**A/N:** In which things kind of, sort of happen, and there are cats-in-a-box, or something. (Also, it's come to my attention that the mix of human names and nation names might be a bit awkward; think I should keep it as-is, or stick with just one? If it's just one, I'll probably use country names, since I'm not overly comfortable with giving other people's characters names.)

**---**

**Scene Zero  
Two**

No one spoke a word as they gathered in the lounge room, instead exchanging glances once seated. The tension was palpable, while Taiwan reached forward for the teapot she had set down only seconds before; biting her lip in concentration, she began to pour tea out, though no one besides herself and Hong Kong actually took a cup.

As the silence dragged on, Thailand buried his face in a book, a clear sign that he wished to be ignored, while Yong Soo continued to scribble something on the clipboard he always carried with him. A part of Kiku wanted to blurt out an apology – a spontaneous action he was bound to question later – but the sound of the door opening behind them stopped him.

Yao rubbed a hand across his eyes as he entered, before pinching the bridge of his nose. Taking a seat beside Yong Soo, he sighed, "We got lucky last night, aru. Vietnam will be released in a couple of hours, and it looks like their poor excuse for police have cleaned things up nicely. Or well enough, so that people won't be stumbling into trouble."

Nursing the cup in her hands, Taiwan managed a sigh of relief, and sank further back into the couch. Hong Kong shot her a brief glance, as he shifted forward to place a number of papers onto the already crowded coffee table between them.

"The data patterns from last night."

Yong Soo slid a couple closer to him, "Report's going to be fun to write up, I'll say. At least they aren't watching our every move, so I don't have to worry about explaining certain decisions on the field." He grinned at Kiku, who shifted uncomfortably at the words. With a scowl, Yao grabbed the teacup closest to him and drained it, before setting it back down with more force than necessary.

"I'd say something about it, but without the intervention Vietnam would have ended up fighting to her death. And what would we have done then, aru?"

"When you're worried, you should just say it," murmured Taiwan, as a plume of steam rose from her cup when she blew into it, "But Levels usually don't upgrade on the spot, do they? Not like that."

"Nope, and that's what I'm going to have to try and figure out. It was a pretty drastic change, you know." The prospect seemed to excite Yong Soo more than anything, never one to back down from a challenge, "Might call up Eduard and see if he has anything on it. I think Alfred might know something as well, since where he's at has almost everything. Besides, it never hurts to use all your resources and connections."

With a roll of her eyes, Taiwan set her cup down and stood up, "If I listen to any more I'll just get a headache; I'm turning in for the day."

"At midday?" Kiku asked, unable to stop himself (though he had a fair idea of the answer already), and thus earned a frown in reply.

"I've been up all night, trying to keep Yao from going completely hysterical, and then had to do the initial write-up for the report when Yong Soo passed out from exhaustion. I think I deserve the break."

While he scrutinised the pages left on the table, Yao waved a hand, "Well, you all might as well take it easy then, aru. Take the chance while you can."

"Are you sure you don't need help with the report?" Kiku asked, while Hong Kong left the room at a speed that might have been deemed unnatural, had anyone bothered to notice. Thailand, who had fallen asleep in a seat located near a window, mumbled something under his breath; the book in his hands had long since slipped to the carpeted floor.

The Chinese man smiled vaguely as he stood up. Picking up the blanket Taiwan had abandoned on the couch, he walked over to where Thailand was and tucked the other in, as comfortably as possible. He didn't turn around as he spoke, "We need someone to properly map the area. Also, it might be a good idea for _you_ to get out as much as possible, aru."

Kiku could not help but raise an eyebrow at the implications, yet the tone of Yao's voice held no room for arguments. Besides that, he knew that there was the matter of explaining his actions behind 'borrowing' a highly dangerous object, still in its testing stages, and it seemed that his cousin was allowing it to slide. For the time being.

Loosening his grip on the couch's arm, Kiku stood up and managed a half-bow before he turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. The hallway was completely abandoned, light filtering through half-curtained windows as shadows crept across the floor and up walls. Ignoring the murmured conversation in the room he had just left, Kiku tucked his hands behind his back as he made his way to the stairs.

In a way, it felt strange to be outside, especially on ground level. It was as if he were exposed and vulnerable to the world, despite the tessen he carried. Kiku had grown to be practically fond of his stake-outs above ground, where he could watch the world below him move without a care in the world, without the need of his presence to be acknowledged; an undisturbed place between ground and sky, though it was only through the advancing of humanity's technology that it was even possible.

True, though, that such moments of peace were often broken by the high shift in disturbance in the area, and he could never forget that there was a reason for being here. It was not a vacation to some strange, new place, but merely another area listed as a high danger zone.

So many people could die, so easily, if the situation were to get out of hand.

The chatter of people, as they surged along in groups, snapped Kiku back into reality, and he stepped back quickly before unintended contact could be made. They barely glanced at him, caught up in their own lives, and while a part of him could only wonder how they could live so freely – so happily – the sudden realisation he had entered a rather populated area was almost shocking.

Voices that overrode each other, hands linking while cars zoomed past; people smiling, unknowing, bags in hands as the world moved on- _closer, they were always moving closer and he wasn't moving at all…_

Kiku turned and ran. The clenching of his throat was painful, almost more so than his wounds from last night, as the sight of the people before him – in the distance – remained in his mind.

He didn't stop until the images faded, their voices nothing more than a hum in the wind. Trailing a hand across the sleeve of the shirt he wore, certain he had reopened the wounds, Kiku looked around to familiarise himself with his surroundings. They had spent the week prior poring over maps, and it didn't take him long to work out exactly where he was. Once that was out of the way, he allowed himself a chance to just appreciate the scenery before him.

Unlike the bustling city life, it was more serene here, as houses stretched out before him and trees provided shade; while small front yard gardens dotted the area with colour. A calmer atmosphere seemed to permeate everything within its hold, a non-threatening existence; a part of him wondered if they had ever been touched with the chaos his family had been brought over to deal with.

As he allowed himself the luxury of walking down the road, Kiku's mind turned to other matters, though they were something that had been discussed with the family so many times over, it seemed pointless to continue.

_If we were not like this- if we had been able to live like a normal family, without the responsibility of other's lives over our heads- What would it be like?_

They rarely, if ever, interacted with the outside world, due to the differences in views and the fact that it was near impossible for anyone to really understand what it was they did. It was true that Eduard, Alfred and even Francis (amongst others) were passable company, without the need to discuss how broken their own personal lives were, and they were all still human, after all.

Yet it was their blood that, somehow, marked them for a life that could have been double-sided, if the outside world were ever invited in.

_Even if you are capable of saving millions of people in the profession you choose, at least you get a choice. In this case, we were branded from the start, and there was no way around it._

A keening meow caught Kiku's attention, and he turned to glance over to his side, freezing mid-step when he caught sight of the source. Without another thought, he hurried over to the box that read, quite clearly in permanent marker; **please give them a good home**.

For a moment, Kiku could only stare down uselessly at the four kittens within the cardboard box itself, while they continued to meow for attention, pawing at the sides. Slowly, so as not to startle them too much, he bent down and reached out to them. They did not seem to mind, allowing him to pet them with a content purr.

Even though he knew that Yao would never allow pets within their temporary residence – it made no sense, as there was more than enough room and no one was allergic to cats (not to mention the amount of Hello Kitty merchandise…) – Kiku could not help but argue with himself as to whether or not he should take them with him.

Not only that, but he had no idea as to how long they had been out here, left to their own devices and trapped in a box that kept them away from the outside world, with only a tattered blanket to keep them company. It would not have come as any sort of surprise to think they were hungry, but he had nothing on him, except for the spare change Taiwan insisted he keep for emergencies.

Kiku stood up, decision made, even as the kittens seemed displeased at the sudden lack of attention. Glancing down at them, he could not help but smile at the sight; "I'll be back. Can you wait that long?" Voice low, on the off-chance anyone was around to hear him – unlikely, as the street was completely abandoned – and they stared back at him with bright eyes.

It was a simple enough task to retrace his steps, back to where people gathered, voices rising and weaving through each other as they continued on their way. No one spared him a second glance, if any at all, as Kiku sought out a convenience store, finger tapping a silent beat against his wallet.

Taiwan and Yao would probably chew him out, if they ever found out what he chose to spend his money on, but Kiku could not bring himself to really care about that, as the doors slid open before him. He was not one to spend money on frivolities, after all, so they would not even begin to suspect; and it was not like there would be any way to trace him back to his actions, especially with such an impulsive decision on his part.

When Kiku moved closer to the register to make his purchase, he could not help but raise his eyebrows at the sight of the cashier speaking enthusiastically to his current customer. Waving the scanner in one hand, it was almost as if the conversation was one-sided, even as the blond tried to bring him back on-track.

"-and do you know what Antonio said, right after that? It was something along the lines of; _but they like me, otherwise why would they be here? _And brother was so angry at that point he actually _tried_ to-"

Realisation that he was actually listening in on the conversation caused Kiku to shake his head, as he took a couple of steps back once more, glancing at the neatly stacked products before him. Picking up a bag of salted peanuts, he stared down at the nutritional contents, blocking the cheerful voice from his mind, even as another, even more enthusiastic voice joined the conversation.

Names were thrown back and forth for a moment – _Elizaveta, Roderich, Lovino, Antonio _and… _Gilbird? Huh?_ (Kiku could only conclude that his mind was playing tricks on him) – until the blond snapped, and the cashier began to apologise profusely, almost to the point of tears.

If anything else of even potential interest was said, Kiku would never know, as his attention was diverted by the dark grey sky he caught sight of. And, although most casual observers would not have seen it before the automatic doors slid open and they stepped out, he could only notice the drizzle that had started. Kiku wandered around the store once more, picking up an umbrella on his way back to the register just as the previous customers left.

"So why do _I_ have to carry all this, West-?"

"Does that really deserve an answ-" The doors slid shut once more, cutting the sentence, as well as the sound of rain, short.

Kiku set the items down, even as the brunet smiled at him and chimed, "Good afternoon! Having a good day?" It was strange to see him so cheerful, despite the apologies less than three minutes prior.

"Eh? Aah…" The completely casual tone threw him off slightly, despite part of his brain knowing that it was just common courtesy on the cashier's part, "Good afternoon." Unable to work out an appropriate response for the second question, Kiku could only give a half-hearted shrug at the end, though it seemed that the other didn't notice, or care. _Being polite was just part of his job, after all…_

As Kiku made his payment, the cashier could only remark, somewhat airily while he stuffed the purchases into a plastic bag, "The news didn't say anything about rain today."

"Is that so…" He could only watch as the doors slid open once more, allowing a small group of teens in, as they chatted amongst themselves.

An empathetic nod, "Maybe it's because the weathergirl is sick, since they've been wrong the past week. I mean, Ludwig says it's completely ridiculous and I shouldn't waste time thinking about it, but-"

"Feliciano, are you talking someone's ear off again?" One of the girls from the group called, as she waved a hand at him, grinning. He waved back with his free hand, even as he ripped the receipt from the machine and passed it over to Kiku with the change.

Mumbling his thanks, yet refusing to believe he had been caught by surprise from the unexpected interruption, Kiku could only walk out as Feliciano practically sang _Have a good day, ve~_ and began another conversation with his new customers.

The drizzle had increased into a downpour, even as Kiku opened the umbrella and stepped out into the elements. Most people were in a similar position, as they hurried on their way, fewer words exchanged. The reminder that the kittens were on their on, and completely exposed to the weather, helped Kiku to pick up the pace.

As he turned into the street from not too long ago, his eyes instantly fell on a bright red umbrella in the distance as it bobbed from side to side; blinking, Kiku reprimanded himself as he sought out the cardboard box, before stopping once more.

It was obvious the box was still there – though it would not be long before the message was completely unreadable – but someone else was huddled over it, holding their jacket over the box in an attempt to shield the kittens from the rain.

Part of Kiku considered turning and walking away, because it was the most obvious choice for him – _what was he supposed to do now? He couldn't walk up to someone like that just because he spontaneously decided to buy some food for abandoned kittens_ – even as he approached the huddled figure. His presence was ignored completely, until the shelter of the umbrella caused the person to look up.

Kiku froze up as their eyes met; the idea that someone could actually notice and give him their undivided attention, that wasn't family or work-related, was almost laughable to him. The familiar clench of his stomach almost had him turn and leave without another word.

"Would you mind giving a hand?" A calm voice, a simple question, unaware of Kiku's internal struggle, as the young man before him stood up (_he was tall,_ Kiku noted, though it did not come as a complete surprise). Tying the drenched jacket around his waist, the brunet glanced back down, even as the umbrella was shifted to accompany his height.

"Eh? Ah, well…" Kiku's grip on the plastic bag tightened, as he turned his gaze down at the box. He could not help but shift uncomfortably at the attention, though he knew there was no discernable reason as to why he should feel like he was being scrutinised; and by a _stranger_, of all people. "If it is no trouble at all, uhm…"

"It isn't. Thank you."

Kiku's view of the kittens was obscured once more as the stranger bent down to gather them in his arms. As they stood up, he was taken by surprise as the animals were pushed into his arms while his lost his grip on the umbrella itself. With three slightly irate kittens in his arms, Kiku could only stare at them, while trying to work out what had just happened.

"My house isn't far from here… if that's alright with you." An almost thoughtful hum as the brunet next to him considered his words, shifting his hold on the fourth kitten, "They'll be alright there."

Unable to look back up to give a reply, Kiku nodded. The bag in his hand crackled with each movement, and one of the kittens in his hold seemed to want to paw at the contents, a perfect distraction from his thought processes. It currently fell on _following a stranger_ and _what am I doing in the first place_, neither really a cause for concern despite Yao's occasional moments of paranoia.

He was no longer a child, after all, and more than capable of taking care of himself.

"Here."

The same calm voice snapped Kiku out of his thoughts, and he watched as the brunet unlatched the front gate. As soon as he had the door to his house open – Kiku could not completely tear his gaze from the garden itself, for some reason – he reached forward for the other kittens, depositing them gently in the shelter of his home.

With a vague smile, he passed the umbrella back to Kiku, "Thank you…?"

The lilt in his tone, question undeniably there, caused the Asian to shift (the possibility of bolting without another word squashed by common courtesy), "… Kiku."

"Kiku," he repeated slowly, as if to make sure his pronunciation was correct, "thank you."

"A-ah, it was no problem at all…"

"Heracles."

"Hera-" Kiku could not stop his face from burning, at the realisation that they seemed to beginning to talk in circles, and instead thrust the plastic bag into the other's hands, ignoring the look of surprise on his face. "T-this is-!"

He missed the widening smile on Heracles' face as he peered into the bag, "… cat food?"

"Well… I just thought, I mean…" _Why was he trying to defend his actions now? And why did he hand it over in the first place? _Aside from the obvious fact that he really had no use for it, and throwing it out was a waste…

A light touch on his shoulder caused Kiku to jerk back, and Heracles blinked at the action as he spoke; "How much did it cost? Ah, would you like to come inside as well…?"

"No, that… that is alright." He bowed deeply, the burning of his face most definitely noticeable now, "Thank you for the offer, but I must be going now."

"I see. Thank you."

Kiku turned away quickly, before he could reconsider – before Heracles could make another offer, no matter how innocent – and hurried out, back into the weather's embrace. The wind around him had picked up again, downpour heavier, as the gate behind him shut with a _clang_.

As he hurried down the street, contemplating how long it would take to make tea, Kiku could not help but look back once more, though the door was already closed and there was no one else out there.

With a shake of his head, he continued on his way; it had only been a chance encounter, he knew, and the possibility of meeting that man again – _Heracles, was it?_ – was slim at best. It was not like it mattered either way, though.


	3. Three

**Disclaimer:** Hetalia is (c) Himaruya Hidekaz. This is fanfiction.

**Warnings:** AU, possible general confusion, and conversations that add more questions than answers.

**A/N:** Apologies for delays, though I can't make any promises that updates will be any faster from this point on. And thanks for a) the reviews and b) the favourites, alerts, etc. You're all awesome. Just so you know.

**Scene Zero  
Three**

The silence that had once blanketed the room – if they chose to ignore the whirl of machines, as well as the faint murmur of voices out in the hallway – was broken by the sound of footsteps, and a vaguely irritated voice.

"Don't worry so much; I can still do this," Vietnam said as she waved Taiwan away, preventing the other girl from continuing the check-up. She tugged at the bandages wrapped around her arm, unravelling them with ease as she paced the room.

This earned a childish pout, "They've only just begun to close, Viet, and you know everyone will throw a fit if you start bleeding on the field. Also, the bruising _is_ getting better, but you'll just-"

"Taiwan, leave the worrying to Yao," with a smile, she reached forward to ruffle the other's hair, earning a defensive yelp in reply, "And Thailand already said that the chances of gates opening tonight are pretty low."

"That's good to hear. As long as _someone_ doesn't decide that test explosives are good weapons, then…"

Both girls stopped at this and turned to look back at Kiku, who merely lifted the map in his hands a fraction higher to avoid their accusing glares. Although almost a week had passed since that particular incident, neither wished to drop the subject despite the apologies, and Kiku knew better than to think anyone else was about to defend him; especially Yong Soo, who was irked at the loss of a test subject he claimed to have been in its final stages.

_A few more adjustments and you could have gone all-out, you just needed to wait a little longer_, he had said with a laugh, clapping Kiku's back with a little more force than necessary. (He had made a note, then and there, to avoid being in the same room as Yong Soo, especially alone.)

Hong Kong hopped down from his seated position on the bookcase, pulling at the sleeves of his shirt in that same moment; "We really can't afford to take it lightly, though. Yao's still trying to set up an appropriate time for us to meet the branch on this side as well, isn't he?"

"Yeah, the Vargas brothers, I think?" Taiwan tilted her head, frowning as she tried to recall their names, "There wasn't a large force to keep things in check here, so I suppose our help was required, huh."

"So you mean this _isn't_ suspicious in any shape or form," he deadpanned back, even as Yong Soo passed by the door to toss something in his general direction. Managing to catch one, Hong Kong spun the tonfa experimentally as the other clattered to the ground, stopping to rest by a table leg. "And all the stuff you and Thailand heard had _nothing_ to do with this transfer at all, so we would be out of their hair for the time being."

She glared back at him, hands on hips in irritation, "I never said that. But it doesn't take a genius to work out that, with such a small force, things are going to get out of hand."

"Considering how much it cost to transfer our force almost halfway across the world, you would have thought-"

Vietnam rolled her eyes, before clapping her hands to catch the pair's attention. Once they had stopped glaring at the other – though it was occasionally hard to tell with Hong Kong – she shook her head at them. Kiku stood up, folding the map and leaving it by the table, as he too gave her his undivided attention.

"We've only just settled in here, you know, and arguing amongst ourselves isn't about to help us get back home," she said bluntly, "Yong Soo's still trying to work out the reason for an upgrade in Levels, and Yao's being as fussy as ever. I _think_ there are more important issues to be discussing here, hm?"

Offering them a smile that lacked any trace of humour, it was enough to prevent Taiwan from retorting, as Hong Kong glanced to the side pointedly. As he entered the room, Yao could only raise his eyebrows at the sight, while Thailand called a cheerful greeting that went over their heads.

"Everyone's rather excitable today, aru," he mused aloud, as he slapped a couple of manila folders down onto the table, "The field's smaller this time, thankfully, so there won't be any issues with keeping communication lines up or covering necessary distances."

Shifting the papers around, Thailand passed them out, explaining as he did so; "You've heard about the Vargas brothers, correct? They've been assigned to patrol the parameter around your locations-"

"Wouldn't it make more sense to have them do the inner circle, since there are only two of them?" Hong Kong cut in, even as he scanned the paper in his hands.

"Well, they've been joined by two others, so it should be alright, don't you think? It was all last-minute, sadly, so I haven't had a chance to pick up names; pretty unprofessional, but what can you do?" Picking up the map Kiku had abandoned, Thailand spread it out for them to see.

As everyone present gathered around the table (Yong Soo waltzed in and made a beeline for the computer), he pointed out three separate locations with the end of a pen; "These would be the best places observation-wise, but it's really up to you in the end. The readings have been consistent since the Level Seven was closed, but keeping one's guard up is vital. I guess I don't need to tell you that, though."

Glancing back up to meet their steady gazes, Thailand offered a smile, even as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Still, I believe it will be a quiet night," he finished with the barest hint of a shrug, before pulling away from the group the same moment Yong Soo called for his aid.

Yao crossed his arms; "Right, so, any questions?"

"How long are we going to be stuck here?"

He turned to face Taiwan, who bit her lip and continued to stare down at the map. Her hands clenched stubbornly, refusing to meet his gaze, even as the other sighed in mild frustration.

"It hasn't even been a month, aru. Until they find enough people to permanently patrol this area, we just have to make the most of it."

"That's…" She began, pitch rising, but stopped when Kiku stepped forward. Offering her an apologetic look for his actions – only to have it waved away – he spread his arms out.

_Something about that answer, those words…_ "What do you mean by that, Yao?"

"I mean what I said, aru. Things are slow here, and Thailand has other tasks to get done, so I have to keep my ear to the ground, you know."

"But the Vargas brothers-"

He waved a hand impatiently, as if the answer were obvious, "-were only situated here as a temporary force, just like us."

Kiku only realised, faintly, that he was grasping the edge of the table in a death grip, "Yao, what does that even-" He was cut off again, this time by Yong Soo's cheer as a blueprint of the area appeared onscreen. Red and green lines criss-crossed throughout the screen as he turned to face them, grinning.

"Alright, it's nearing sixteen hundred hours, and you've got to keep patrol until at _least_ twenty one hundred hours; think you guys can handle it?" He smirked at this, the challenge in his tone far too obvious as he leaned back, arms crossed.

Picking up the abandoned tonfa, Hong Kong tilted his head a fraction; "We wouldn't be here if we couldn't."

They were used to Yong Soo attempting to rile them up, after all, and if he didn't say something along those lines at least once before the start of the mission, then everyone knew something was amiss. As it was, he merely saluted the group with a grin, confidence almost overflowing.

"Alright then! Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

With a useless tug at his scarf in an attempt to cover the top of his head, Kiku could only adjust the headset Yao had insisted they wear for the mission. While he understood the reasoning behind it, there would always be something unnerving in the fact that, if he were to make a random observation to himself out loud, everyone would hear it (and Yong Soo recorded _everything_). It was a double-edged sword, however, as he heard someone sneeze on another line.

"_Sorry._" Hong Kong did not sound particularly apologetic, even as Vietnam muttered something inconspicuous in reply. "_Rain's not going to stop anytime soon, is it? And did you ever work out if the weather had anything to do with the gates, or was that merely speculation while you were half-awake?_"

"_More like half-asleep,_" Taiwan said, and one could almost see her elbowing Yong Soo in the side as she spoke, "_But it seems everything's rather calm on this side, how about you?_"

Vietnam sighed, "_This cat keeps staring at me._"

There was a pause as everyone present mulled over her statement, until Yao spoke up; "_And I'd like to believe that would be the least of your worries, aru._"

"_But it looks possessed,_" she shot back, and it became obvious that she was willing to continue a conversation that did not need to exist. It was impossible not to hear Yao's hiss of frustration while Yong Soo chuckled, only to yelp in pain when he was quickly reprimanded.

"_Just keep an eye out, and don't let anything slip by you,_" Yao said, irritation evident, even as Yong Soo began a monologue in the background about abuse within the family, "_otherwise we'll just end up with a bigger mess than what we started with._"

There was a murmur of agreement from all lines, as Kiku resumed scanning the area for anything remotely unusual. It was a cloudy night, completely obscuring the stars and moon in the process, as the constant threat of heavier rain nagged the back of his mind. The last thing they needed was an uncomfortable distraction, coupled with a handicap if any fighting became necessary.

At this, he touched the hilt of his katana, reassured by its presence even though there was no threat to be seen. And that was the worse part, to wait on the off-chance something _did_ happen; one could never know exactly where the attack would come from, and how quickly things could escalate, so…

"_Hey, Kiku._"

Like smoke, his train of thought vanished at an instant and it would not have surprised Kiku if he had flinched reflexively; "Did you need something, Yong Soo?"

"_You think Yao's serious about all this?_" There was a certain amount of seriousness in his tone that dispelled any thoughts about cutting the conversation short. And even if he had wanted to, Yong Soo had just brought up a question that had been on his mind for quite some time, even if it had only just been brought out in the open a few hours ago.

"The fact that we're patrolling a formerly abandoned area? I didn't think it was even possible."

There was a sigh on the other end, and he could hear Yong Soo typing into a keyboard as he continued to keep track of their progress; "_There've been no former reports for us to work on, and Thailand agrees with me that it seems fishy. Then again, there's no one powerful enough to create an entirely new area and have people living in it, so I'm guessing it really was just forgotten._"

"But you can't just forget an entire population of people," Kiku pointed out, though he knew his cousin was well aware of it; more than anything, he wanted to find a reasonable explanation, because the alternative… "And you've been out yourself, haven't you? People are living their lives like normal, so nothing large must have happened before we came by."

"_True, but someone might be covering anything large as well,_" there was a brief moment of distortion, and Yong Soo muttered an apology as he readjusted the connection, "_Also, I was looking up on our currently unseen partners-_"

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on the Levels?"

It would not have been surprising if Yong Soo waved a dismissive hand at this; "_I can multi-task just fine, unlike some people. As I was saying, the Vargas brothers have actually been here for a while, looking at their transferral orders-_"

Kiku could not resist his urge to groan, "You do realise that, if anyone finds out, you'll be disposed of, right?"

There was no need for him to elaborate, as they all knew the consequences of such actions, but Yong Soo merely laughed in reply. It was impossible to tell if it was just an act, or if he really was unconcerned by the fact.

"_I've covered my tracks just fine, Kiku, so don't worry 'bout that._" When Kiku refused to reply, there was another sigh, and one could almost see Yong Soo leaning forward, voice lowered despite the fact they could hear each other just fine; "_You're questioning a genius here, you realise that, right?_"

He bit back the instant reaction to argue that point (_it had just been dumb luck, after all_), and instead glanced down at the scanner, "You aren't the only genius when it comes to technology. Remember that."

"_Wait, you're worried about me?_"

"This isn't a game," Kiku murmured, ignoring the irritation he felt upon hearing Yong Soo's question, disbelief evident, and returned to scanning the area. It was true, after all, that they did not get along as well as one might have thought (they were family; it was only natural), but that did not mean they wished any real ill on the other.

There was another laugh at this, though it sounded a little more self-conscious, "_Yeah, I know. If it makes you feel any better, I roped Eduard and Liechtenstein into helping me set up the initial program before I began the actual search._"

"It does, actually. At least I know you aren't experimenting with codes again." At the reassurance, Kiku returned them to the conversation at hand, "How long ago did they send the Vargas brothers in?"

"_A year ago, and it was almost impossible to find just that. Like I said, there were no former reports for us to work on._"

Kiku bit his lip, turning the information over as he tried to make sense of it, "It can't have just been irresponsibility if it was for an entire year. Are you saying that-" He stopped, unsure if he should continue, but Yong Soo spoke up before he could finish the question.

"_It's still too early to come to any solid conclusions, but it seems that they've been forgotten, much like the city itself,_" there was no more laughter in his voice, no more jokes to be said, "_But until I can dig up the necessary evidence, I don't want to tell Yao._"

There was a something in his tone, not quite pleading, that caused Kiku to smile, "I'll keep my ear to the ground." _And I won't tell a soul_ remained left unsaid, but they had known each other for too long not to catch the rest.

"_Alright- what? Yes, yes._" There was the sound of sudden distortion – loud in his ears, but familiar all the same – as other voices rejoined the mix.

It came as no surprise that their discussion had been on a private line, as the conversation would have otherwise been filled with thoughts and opinions from all sides, and it seemed as if Vietnam and Yao were still debating over whether or not a cat could actually be possessed in the first place. If that made any sense.

"-r_equesting back-up,_" Hong Kong said, speaking slowly and clearly over the arguing voices that filled their ears, "_Sighted movement, but there are no Levels in progress, so…_"

"Understood, I'm moving to your location," Kiku replied, making sure to answer clearly as he gave his area one last, long scan, "Taiwan, is that alright?"

There was a ten second pause, as the sound of keys being typed in joined the argument, "_Yes, that's fine. I'll let you know if anything changes._"

Murmuring his thanks, Kiku moved from his position, glad for the chance to stretch his limbs. It also aided in clearing his mind and sight, as keeping watch in one area could cause a lapse, where concentration swayed if they were not careful.

Kiku glanced around, to get a better idea of his location from the ground, as he touched the right side of his headphones lightly; "Hong Kong, is it possible to tell me more as to why you think this is cause for suspicion?"

"_There are particular areas we've marked out; places no citizen is allowed to go through for safety reasons,_" Hong Kong said, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, "_and unless I was completely mistaken, I just saw someone passing through one of those very areas._"

Yong Soo chose to ask the question on their minds, "And you don't think it's just someone taking a shortcut, or one of the usual shady guys the city offers us?"

"_I doubt it. The scanner went haywire when they passed through, and it's still not functioning to the best of its ability now._" His tone remained level as he replied, even as Kiku felt his heart skip a beat and Yong Soo swore softly, as realisation dawned.

"_Kiku, get over there and help him,_" there was a particular curtness in his tone that brooked no argument, though it was unnecessary, "_Thailand, could you be their back-up from this side?_" There was the faint call of assent, before he continued, "_Yao, if you and Vietnam could stop your little argument for a while-_"

Kiku blocked the rest of the conversation from his mind, mentally mapping out the path to his destination. Once he was confident that there was no error in what his memory had given him, he ran. The sounds of car engines were clearer in now, as he remained in the shadows to the best of his ability (even then, some people glanced in his direction, unsure as to whether not they had seen someone at all).

Though it did not take him long to reach where Hong Kong was situated, the rushing in his ears and the pounding of his heart were almost unbearable. It was as if hours had passed, though it had only really been minutes, and Hong Kong glanced up at him, talking into the microphone as he did so.

"-yes, understood. I won't. No. Yes. Confirmed." He stepped forward, towards Kiku, and held out a hand. Blankly, Kiku reached forward to pick up the scanner offered to him, and glanced down at the screen.

"… Damn."

"That's what I thought," was the simple reply, as Hong Kong took the scanner back and tucked it away. Once he was sure that Kiku had sufficiently recovered, he made a vague gesture to the dark alleyway they were standing in front of; "It was this way."

"Thailand, do you have a trace?" Kiku asked as they headed in. At an instant, they were swallowed by the unnatural darkness that seemed to consume most places once night fell.

"_Just picked it up when you arrived. It looks like they're moving in one direction at the moment; I'll let you know if anything happens._"

There was no need for him to nod, and yet Kiku did. Because it was something of a reassurance to know that they were as prepared as they could be, in the given situation, and he wasn't alone.

Even so, the tightening in his stomach remained (not enough to be a hindrance, but still very much there) and the image Hong Kong's scanner had given him was enough to worry anyone. They had been placed in this area, this apparent corner of nowhere, under the assumption that it would be a routine job.

But after the appearance of a Level Seven gate, and now _this_, Kiku could only wonder what it was he and his family had actually been thrown into. What the cost would be, while unanswered questions were shoved to one side as he focused on the present.

First they had to live through this, and then they could search for the answers.


	4. Four

**Disclaimer:** Hetalia is (c) Himaruya Hidekaz. This is fanfiction.

**Warnings:** AU, violence/fighting, and probably even more questions.

**A/N:** So this chapter kept beating me around the head, and that's probably a sign that I need to stop writing scenarios I'm not particularly good at (or at least get references or… something. I don't know). Well, hope this is alright with you guys.  
Also, I only realised now that fanfiction(dot)net eats my dividers, and one was actually kind of necessary in the last chapter for the scene/time change. Sorry about that.

**Scene Zero  
Four**

It was stifling in the alleyway, while the feeling of being boxed-in on all sides remained foremost in Kiku's mind. A ridiculous notion, as they were definitely moving, but the darkness that wrapped itself around them was completely unnatural: the torches barely penetrated it, and the fact only heightened already strained nerves.

Being in such a state of mind was dangerous, and Kiku knew it; if the paranoia, the fear, became too much and clouded his judgement, it was not improbable to think that he would strike out at Hong Kong if the other made any sudden moves. And it was a certainty that both sides would deal heavy damage if that happened, because while Hong Kong always seemed fairly collected, no one was impervious to such emotions.

"_Take a left the next turn,_" Thailand said; while he did not raise his voice, it sounded like a bellow to Kiku, echoing faintly in his ears. They had been spared the separate discussions that were happening at the moment, at least, as they used a completely separate line. To get distracted now could spell certain death.

He sensed, rather than saw, Hong Kong move to take a left as instructed, and followed suit. As he did so, it suddenly occurred to him that the sounds around them were muted.

No, not even that; there was no sound at all.

Aside from their footsteps, their breathing (_the pounding in his ears; his heart_) and Thailand's occasional instruction, it was as if they had been cut off from the world beyond.

Hong Kong stopped abruptly while Kiku was distracted by his thoughts, and it was a mixture of luck and training that prevented him from colliding with the other. About to ask why they were not moving, the younger spoke up.

"Thailand, it's a dead-end."

"_What?_" The faint disbelief in his tone was obvious, "_You mean, a wall or a fence or-_"

"Barricade," Kiku said as he glanced over Hong Kong's shoulder, the weak light from the torches just enough for him to work out the answer. "Did they know we were following them?"

Hong Kong answered, tone brisk in the dead quiet that surrounded them; "Impossible. It looks like it's been this way for months, at the very least. Give me a boost."

A part of Kiku might have questioned the younger as to how safe scaling the barricade was, even though he already knew that backtracking would cause too much of a delay. The suspect could get away (it was hard not to consider them as anything other, as the image of Hong Kong's scanner flashed before his eyes) and the last thing they needed was another unknown factor running around unmolested.

Shaking his head to clear it, Kiku moved to help Hong Kong up. As the other scrambled upwards, wary of any loose debris, Kiku took the chance to get a better idea of the barricade's basic build. It did not seem all that difficult, as his mind worked out the simplest route for him to get to the top without it collapsing under his feet; after spending years climbing and scaling anything within his reach, it was nothing more than a challenge.

Once Hong Kong had made it to the top, they exchanged a series of hand gestures – it could be dangerous to raise one's voice in unknown territory, never knowing if someone else was eavesdropping – and Kiku moved. While it had taken the younger a number of minutes to make the painstaking climb, it seemed like seconds as he covered the same distance.

"_You're clear,_" Thailand said, without any need for prompting, as Kiku joined Hong Kong and they observed the other side of the barricade.

"We're going to have to swing down-" Kiku began, only to have his cousin turn to face him. Despite the lack of actual light, it was impossible not to see the disbelieving expression used.

"-and break our legs on the way? No thanks." There was a slightly scathing tone in his voice, but it could have been mere imagination. "We may lose time, but it's better than getting injured and not being able to move at all."

He had a point, and it would be a long time before Kiku forgot the almost-blinding pain from a week before (he really had been lucky, and testing fate a second time would have been foolish). Again he cleared his mind, focusing on the matter at hand;

"Alright, let's move."

Hong Kong did not waste time to reply as he swung down and began the descent. Kiku remained where he was a moment longer, using the torchlight to the best of its ability to aid the other in his progress. Once the halfway point had been reached, he moved.

Unlike before, he could not merely use any particular hold and hope that it would remain fast; Kiku found himself drawing back, more often than not, due to shaky footing. The blood seemed to pound in his ears, urging him to hurry up and reach the bottom, but he knew that listening to such actions could very well prove disastrous.

When his feet touched solid ground, Kiku allowed himself to exhale slowly, urging his heart to calm down a little as Hong Kong shone the light further ahead. Again, it was difficult to make out what was before them, but at least it seemed empty enough.

Without another word, they pushed on.

_It would be so easy,_ Kiku mused, _to believe they had been swallowed in this very darkness for hours; days even. Yong Soo would have hated it._ And while the small, immature part of him found amusement at the thought, it made him realise how unnatural the alleyways they were passing through truly were. It would do to look into the city further to see just how deeply it ran, but a sudden, shrill ringing broke the silence, and he was thrown forcefully back into the present.

Blindly, he reached for his scanner, catching sight of light as Hong Kong inspected his own device. Even with a fair idea of what would be on the screen, Kiku could not ignore how dry his throat was as he glanced down.

The screen blacked suddenly before him, a split-second too late to catch the repeated scrolling of 0 and 1, a binary signal that worked almost as a beacon of sorts. Perhaps a message, even, as he recalled the only time they had seen it.

_There had been screaming – to run and save themselves, find backup; someone, anyone – while blinding pain made it impossible to make out their surroundings-_

Without timely intervention they would have died. To think of it so simply should have worried Kiku more, but he wrenched himself away from the memories. Words had begun to form across the screen, occasional static halting the action while the noise seemed to fill the alleyway.

The majority of words meant nothing to them – an alphabet he could not place; it was different from that last time – though a few jumped out at him; _call, final, A-76 G-59, awake-_

_Will you be enjoying the show, Honda-san?_

The device hit the ground with a _crack_ alongside the torch, before Kiku realised it had happened. For a moment he could only stand there, thoughts and speculations running around in circles, as he stared at nothing. But even as he struggled to work out what it all meant, it always returned to that one thought: _how did they know?_ And even without a voice, the use of his name had clearly been used in a mocking tone, to prove how inferior they really were and-

A hand hit his back hard and Kiku drew a sharp gasp as he spun around, hand reaching for the tanto. Even as the blade was drawn, he felt the edge of a tonfa press none-too-gently against his throat. It took him a moment longer to realise Hong Kong continued to watch him, eyes set.

Slowly, he lowered the blade and drew another breath (only then realising he had been holding it in upon seeing the message, until the younger had snapped him out of it). Closing his eyes and exhaling slowly, Kiku slid the blade away.

"I'm alright," his words were a whisper despite his best efforts, and Hong Kong searched his eyes a moment longer. Once certain that the words were true, he stepped back.

"What was it?"

"I…" Kiku hesitated slightly, bending down to retrieve the dropped items, but then remembered that there was no time to waste dancing around the question, "That message… one sentence was aimed at me."

He heard an intake of breath from Thailand, even as Hong Kong spoke, "Are you sure of that?"

As he glanced down, Kiku was not surprised that the words were no longer present, while the scanner continued to cover the area almost haphazardly. Completely useless now; "No, I'm not."

It had only been for a split second, before he had lost his grip, and there was no evidence that it had ever occurred. Kiku knew, of course, how paranoia and heightened fear could make one see something that did not really exist, and it could very well had been one of those moments.

Once they were done with the investigation, he could think over it.

Hong Kong nodded briefly, accepting his words for the time being, before he turned away; "We've got to hurry."

"_You're close now,_" Thailand informed them, "_Just take a left into a smaller alleyway. It's the…_" Silence, as he counted quickly, "_fifth one, starting from your current position._"

Having settled his breathing, Kiku straightened up; "Understood."

There was a tight silence between the pair as they jogged, aware that running would tire them out before they even arrived at the located spot. At the least, their target had not moved, which meant that they had either reached their destination, were waiting for something, or had become otherwise occupied.

It did not take long for the answer to become clear, just as the thought formed into a coherent string of words. And in that moment, Kiku believed they had just died.

The sudden pull that urged them forward was undeniable, while grotesque, almost-human-but-not creatures clawed their way upwards. Distortion threatened to rip the ground apart, as the creatures continued to move, intent on what their minds urged them to do.

And before them stood a dark-cloaked figure, hands outstretched before it.

"_Kiku- Hong Kong! Pull ou-_" The instruction stopped abruptly as the connection cut-off, but it was enough to snap him out of it. A sharp intake of breath to his side indicated that Hong Kong had also frozen up at the sight.

It had been an abrupt change from the darkness that had penetrated them, so sudden that neither had been prepared for it, coupled with the fact that a _gate_ was open before them, and no one had picked up on it.

_Impossible-_

Intelligent eyes turned to face them; a deep shade of green, almost alluring in nature as it moved closer, closer…

Kiku's arm shot out before he even realised what he was doing, shoving Hong Kong to one side as he drew his tanto and slashed indiscriminately. The creature shrieked in pain, over the rush of blood that pounded in his ears, and he tumbled back as he lost his footing. Landing hard on the concrete ground, he struggled to get back to his feet, eyes adjusting to the sudden light that had blurred his view.

It was pure luck that his foot lost its hold and he slipped to one side again, as the injured creature made a leap at him; again he struck out with the blade, scoring another wound, as claws raked his arm in search of his throat. Before it could recover and attack accurately, there was another shriek of pain as it was struck to one side forcefully, and Hong Kong followed after it without hesitation.

He was only one person though, and Kiku stood, eyes searching for the source of the distortion even as dark figures continued to move. There were too many of them, and once they realised there were intruders, it would not take them long to rip them apart. Even with Vietnam's support, he doubted they would survive such an attack.

They had to get out, to locate reinforcements, and yet somehow he knew that it was too late for a tactical retreat.

Drawing his katana, Kiku's gaze swept to where Hong Kong was; when it became clear that the younger was capable of handling a single monster, his eyes moved again in search of the source. If he could find it, destroy it, at least it would stop the flow, even as the creatures stirred, realising other presences that were not their own.

_Running out of time…_

And then his gaze fell on the dark-cloaked figure, arms still spread out, as if summoning something. Unlike the creatures surrounding them, they definitely looked human, without any of the inhibitions that struck one down upon entering another dimension.

While the possibility that an average human being could even _approach_ such a place was incredibly low, they were already out of options. Even as Kiku's mind ran through various levels of reasoning, he approached the person, treading carefully in hope that he would not be noticed. The katana was heavy in his hand, while blood continued to trickle down his injured arm, but _just a few more steps-_

Unexpectedly, a hand locked itself around Kiku's ankle, forcing him to a stop while a high-pitched shriek in triumph left him in no doubt of what had just happened. He spun (caught a glimpse of yellow in his peripheral vision), blade moving in a low arc, but it was stopped by the monster's free hand. It did not seem to be in any real pain, despite the blade biting deep; almost-human features twisted into a grin, the hand around his ankle tightening with inhumane strength.

With little time before bones began to break, he let go of the katana's hilt. As soon as he did so, the creature cast it away, too far to be of any use, but as it turned back towards him, Kiku had already found his kunai. Stabbing downwards, the point sank into flesh, barely meeting resistance, but it had the desired effect.

Another scream rent the air, almost cutting it clean through, as the grip on his ankle faltered and then released; clawing protectively at its face, the creature swung blindly, scoring a jagged line across his chest and knocking him back. Kiku stumbled, with no sudden resistance to stop him, and felt his heart leap to his throat as a familiar feeling of being pulled into nothingness began to consume him.

"Ki-"

A hand shot out, cool fingers grabbing his wrist regardless of the blood that had run down it. For a brief moment – when logical reasoning no longer mattered and _he was going to die_ – Kiku thought Hong Kong had somehow managed to make it across to him. But as the blood rushed through veins and his mind cleared, he realised that it was a stranger, even as they heaved him back onto solid ground.

This time he noticed the blond hair, most hidden by the cowl of the cloak, while green eyes met his briefly before turning away. Once he was sure Kiku was not about to fall back into the distortion he let go, words brief yet clear over the chaos around them;

"Give me three minutes."

Even as a part of him wished to ask questions, demand answers, it did not take much for Kiku to realise that he did not have much of a choice in the matter. They had just saved him, after all, and while the lingering doubt that they were the cause of the problem remained, more sinister gazes turned back on him; tearing his attention away from them, he sought out his cousin.

More of the monsters had gathered around Hong Kong, confident with the numbers in their favour as Kiku staggered forward. He had no idea where his katana was, and _knew_ that only so much damage could be done with a tanto and kunai, but could only continue moving.

He allowed a small, bitter laugh to escape, regretting it immediately when his entire body lanced with pain. Really, if the monsters didn't kill him, the loss of blood was bound to finish the job.

At the same time, he could not abandon his family, aware that they would have done the same in his position. As long as there was the slightest chance of survival, they would step in.

There was a slight advantage for Kiku, in the fact that the creatures' attention were elsewhere; it was only after one had died with something akin to a gurgle, and another screamed at the burning pain in its abdomen, that they realised someone had chosen to interfere.

It was only a temporary distraction though, and they regrouped quickly as Kiku forced his way through, so that he was back-to-back with Hong Kong; aside from torn, bloodied sleeves, he looked mostly unharmed.

"Thought you died." His tone was strangely calm, and even with the noise around them, he did not need to raise his voice to be heard.

Kiku resisted the urge to laugh, realising that they could very well die in the next minute, and decided that it was too much work to raise a fuss about it; "I'm in debt now, though." _And I don't know who they are, or if they're even human._

The brief lull was broken when the creatures around them moved forward together, as if in one mind. The glint of steel – _but was it really? _(Kiku could not help but wonder, as they were attached to limbs) – so close that they could have touched it, even as he brought his blade up in defence.

But nothing struck it.

He had seen it clearly though, knew he had; how the creatures, their eyes shining with triumph, closed in on them, blades swinging in an arc that no physical defence would be able to block. Even with that fact in mind, Kiku could only try to survive a few moments longer, but now stared at nothing.

No, that was not entirely true; he could now see the wall of the building on the far side, even as his mind tried to catch up to what his senses had already noticed.

The chaotic din that had threatened to deafen him no longer existed, an almost-silence filling its place, while only splotches of blood remained from where the injured had once lay.

"That's not possible," Hong Kong said behind him. His voice wavered, just a fraction, and it was clear the scene now before him was more unnerving than what had been there moments ago.

Kiku was unable to answer – unsure if he could have, under the current circumstances – before another voice spoke up, accent obvious with the lack of other noises to mask it.

"Maybe not for you, but at least they're gone."

Pulling the cowl of his cloak back, the first thing that popped up into Kiku's mind caused him to choke back laughter, wincing as the pain seemed to inflame his body. He bit back the involuntary action, but the stranger had already caught the movement and could only raise his eyes up to the dark sky; "Please, not you too."

"I- I apologise," Kiku bowed, staring at the ground as he regained control of his emotions. As he straightened up, the blond-haired stranger continued to regard them with a certain sense of curiosity.

His eyes were green, Kiku noted, though he could only turn away again as his attention fell back onto the eyebrows; his reaction to laugh had not been a cruel gesture of how they looked, but as he struggled to keep up with the series of events that had just occurred, it just seemed _strange_. In what way, he had no idea just yet.

Then something fell around his chest, and he started. Twisting around, he noticed Hong Kong staring down at the ripped piece of cloth in his hands; "Need to stop the bleeding."

The stranger stepped forward, unlatching his cloak in the same movement, "Use this, then. But how are you even conscious with that much blood loss-" A vague hand gesture, even as the material was taken by Hong Kong, who proceeded to cut it into strips.

Kiku allowed himself to be moved into a seated position – realised, vaguely, that he had begun to sway while his focus blurred, just a little – and tried to form a reply. It only seemed right, but the words would not come; even if they did, a sudden sound diverted his attention. Something that was so normal, and thus so out of place after everything that had been happening…

Another meow.

Before he even realised what he was doing, Kiku twisted in an attempt to locate the sound; pain he had ignored somewhat now lanced through him, an indescribable feeling that began in the wound and spread out. It threatened to tear him apart, and he felt hands grip him, forcing him back into place.

"Don't do that," there was a slight edge in the tone, and Kiku could only stare blankly back at green eyes, as if unable to comprehend what those words meant.

"Kiku." His eyes moved to look back at Hong Kong, who had moved closer, "Did you find something interesting?"

He tried to turn at this, but the hands refused to let him go; giving up, he glanced back at the person with green eyes, and then focused on their eyebrows.

"I think I did. I don't know," he said, or tried to say, as his words seemed to merge with each other. Trying to raise a hand to point, Kiku continued, "Are those eyebrows natural?" Not waiting for an answer (it was difficult to tell if they had understood or not) he again attempted to turn and face his cousin, "Hong Kong, are you still there?" _You're kind of far away, you know._

A hand moved to grip his, squeezing slightly, and Hong Kong's voice echoed in his mind, "Can you walk? We still have to work out how to stop Yao from being so cranky, and any input is good input."

_Well, I want to sleep more, but-_ "I- Yes."

The pain that lanced through him was still prominent, while the urge to close his eyes became increasingly harder to fight off. Even as his mouth moved automatically in response to Hong Kong's words, common sense had finally made its way to his consciousness, and Kiku realised that surrendering could mean his death. That he was, in fact, dying.

_Wasn't the sensation slightly familiar? When had it been, he could not recall it…_ If he had been able to muster the energy, he might have panicked; he could feel his heart, beating doggedly in his chest, as a vague feeling of other presences joining him wormed its way into his mind. It might have meant something, or maybe nothing. Maybe in his case it made no difference, as he sought out that single, clear sound he had heard before.

A carrying meow, as he had caught a glimpse of bright eyes, before the cat has slinked away, and then his focus had slipped. He stopped at this, as he tried to align the shadows and lights right before him and then frowned. That cat; what colour had it been? Was it young or old?

Even if it had only been a glimpse, his memory should have been able to replay the event clearly until he found the answers. But for whatever reason, it refused to now, and the fact irritated him.

Like this, not even able to remember simple details from such questions, was pathetic. The idea of dying, while not even able to retrieve that, made him think that Yong Soo might have had a point during one of his drunken rants. And to agree with him was just-

_A meow that his ears had picked up easily, and he turned to see a young, inquisitive tortoiseshell that watched him a moment longer before moving away._

"Ah, you're awake now, Kiku?"

Blinking up at the white ceiling, Kiku made no attempt to move as he swallowed painfully, "How long?"

He heard a seat to his right move slightly, before Thailand answered; "This is the third morning. You lost quite a lot of blood, after all, but the wounds themselves were not fatal."

"How…"

"After connections broke off, I sent in reinforcements; Vietnam and Mr Edelstein made it in time, it seems. Though the fact that you're awake, a good deal sooner than what the doctor estimated, says a lot about how quickly you recover."

Kiku hummed lightly at this (noted down the foreign name), though he could do nothing more than continue to stare at the ceiling; at the light bulb a little further away from his direct line of sight. It was off, "Moving the upper body hurts, though." A completely useless observation, he knew, as they would have already seen the damage.

"But it's good to see you're awake." Even without turning to look, it was obvious that Thailand was smiling now, relieved by the fact, "Yao's had a lot on his plate lately as well, talking to the young man you and Hong Kong ran into back then. I should let the others know you're awake, and Yao can fill you in on the details."

"If that's alright with you," Kiku said, turning his head slightly to face the other, "Thank you."

With another smile, Thailand stood up and left the room; the door remained open, and Kiku could pick up the sounds of an argument a floor down. Taiwan and Yong Soo, he thought (recognising them instantly), while the lack of unfamiliar voices or presences confirmed that he was recovering at their temporary home.

He continued to focus on their voices a while longer – it seemed Yong Soo had decided to play some kind of practical joke and Taiwan did not approve – before turning his head to the other side. The light that filtered through the window was not particularly blinding, and he could see the pale blue sky, white-grey clouds just at the edges.

Then his gaze fell further down, to the windowsill itself, and Kiku could not stop the slight twitch of his mouth, "Isn't that a dangerous spot to nap in?"

In response to his concern, the cat yawned and curled up once more, tail flicking slightly in content.


	5. Five

**Disclaimer:** Hetalia is (c) Himaruya Hidekaz. This is fanfiction.

**Warnings:** nothing this chapter, considering everyone knows this is an AU and all.

**A/N:** This feels like an interlude before the next big thing. Uh… yeah, I don't have much else to say about it; Kiku seems to have some strange hobbies, and someone we haven't seen for a while turns up for a brief chat. Thanks for the reviews as well!

**Scene Zero  
Five**

For a moment, all Kiku could do was observe the fold he had just made; frowning, he slid the paper to one side with a shake of the head. Taiwan snatched up the abandoned object and held it up to the light, before shooting him a glare.

"There was absolutely nothing wrong with that fold."

"It was crooked," he said calmly, eyes focused on a new piece of paper.

Even without looking, he could tell that Taiwan had opened her mouth to argue the point, but Yong Soo raised his voice from a corner of the room; "Why bother trying anymore? He's a perfectionist who refuses to watch the credits of a game until he's found every single _freaking thing_ it has to offer. Even when you know you can't unlock certain bonuses unless it's cleared first."

"Unlike yourself, who chooses to rush through, I'm sure," Kiku shot back. It was a lie, though, and those present knew it. They were also aware that his argument was weak at best, which meant Yong Soo had the upper hand. To _what_ exactly, no one was sure of, but the pair had a constant need to try and one-up the other, no matter how ridiculous it was.

So it came as no surprise that when Vietnam entered the room, she shot a glance at both Yong Soo and Kiku, gauging the current mood. As she spun on her heel and walked straight out, it was clear that she had no wish to remain, while Taiwan finished the crane Kiku had abandoned. Setting it on the bedside table, it tipped to one side and she frowned.

Although he knew it would be best to remain silent, Kiku could not help himself; "I knew that was going to happen." He winced when she punched his arm and drew back slightly, unable to get out of her range in his current position.

"Punch him again for good measure," Yong Soo called, eyes glued on the PSP in his hands.

Shaking her head, Taiwan stood up from her seat on Kiku's bed. Smoothing the creases out of her shirt, she left the room with one final comment; "Fight your own battles, Yong Soo."

As the door swung half-shut, the Korean replied in a conversational tone, ignoring the fact that she would not hear it. "I would, but I'm trying to reach max combo, don't you know."

"Without cheats, I hope," Kiku said, tone dry, as he leaned back against the pillows. Paper cranes of various sizes and patterns surrounded him, and the slightest movement to one side threatened to crush them. Even so, he decided that cleaning up could come later.

"I already finished this one with top scores, so it wouldn't make much of a difference, I'd think," was the simple reply, and Yong Soo ducked when Kiku tossed a crane at his head.

It fell short of the intended target, and he contemplated throwing something heavier across the room. But in his current condition, and the fact that Yao had practically banned him from leaving the bed itself, he could only admit defeat and drop the subject.

"Besides that," Yong Soo continued, tone suspiciously casual, eyes never leaving the screen, "I've pretty much gone through all the games here."

Digging out a string of stars he had made earlier that day, Kiku tied it into a necklace; "Only the portables; if you're so bored, go play something you _haven't_ finished."

"But it's no fun unless you're there, stating the obvious when the characters don't get it."

"Some games just happen to follow a strict formula and leave nothing to the imagination," he said, somewhat uselessly, "I also fail to see what's so hilarious about me feeling the need to point out that _should_ be common sense."

Yong Soo chuckled at this; "By the third hour you're yelling at the game, and that's fantastic entertainment, as far as I'm concerned. It's even better when you're drunk."

Unable to completely conceal his grimace at the words – it was true, after all, that he was considerably more vocal and opinionated during those moments – Kiku twisted around to find a place to hang the necklace. There was little space left by now; having been forced to remain in his room and with nothing else to do, there were more than enough paper cranes and stars to last someone a lifetime.

But while it did take a considerable amount of time and practice to make them, it was impossible for him not to be bored out of his mind.

"Too bad Yao flipped when he realised what we'd done," Yong Soo said, as if aware of what was running through Kiku's mind; really, even now he failed to see the problem with moving one of the televisions into his room. He suspected the reason _might_ have been the time he had a three-day gaming marathon with Yong Soo and Hong Kong.

It was a particularly irritating decision, as they had reached a crucial point in the game's storyline that just _begged_ to be watched, and he was now unable to. As his room was located on the second floor, Kiku had to pass by his cousin's bedroom, and Yao was a light sleeper. There was no point in even trying.

As he began to mentally calculate how much purchasing a television would cost, Yao peeked into the room unexpectedly, "Thought I'd find you here, Yong Soo."

His tone alerted the pair instantly, and the Korean switched the portable console off. Leaving it on the carpeted floor, he stood up and stretched; "Don't tell me another one's cropped up."

"It's not a definite, but we can't just leave it like that, aru," Yao replied calmly, though they noticed that his grip on the switchblade did not loosen, "Kiku, keep an eye on the house while we're out." He made no attempt to make eye contact, aware of what would run through Kiku's mind in reply to those words.

For his part, Kiku resisted the urge to answer back impulsively and instead nodded (an abrupt, jerky movement); "Understood."

Yong Soo shot him a look that might have been interpreted as sympathetic, but it had probably been a trick of the light. At least, that was what Kiku told himself, as he heard the rest of the family leave. The door slammed shut, a particularly loud sound despite the distance from his room, and he dropped back onto the pillows for a moment, silence engulfing him.

Though it was only nearing the end of the first week of his recovery, Kiku felt restless; he hated being told to stay in bed, as his legs were fine (aside from some bruising) and with little else to do. With that came too much time to think about what had happened since their arrival, and how much information had been left unsaid.

Too many questions had piled up during their missions, yet he knew talking about them freely was not possible. And with their haphazard schedule, Yong Soo had yet to provide him with any more information concerning his personal research about everyone involved, while Kiku had progressed even less. To be denied access to their files and records, or to gather further information, meant loose ends out of his control.

Even so, he had no way of convincing Yao or Vietnam to allow him to dig further into the matter. Alongside that, he knew that the decision of how much bed rest was needed had been out of concern, no matter how irritating it was.

_But sometimes that can cloud one's judgement_, he thought, gathering the paper cranes. Setting them to one side, he swung around and stood up gingerly. His upper body no longer seemed to scream in pain as he stretched, careful not to exceed the point his body could stand. Then, slowly, he paced around the room; _one, two, two, three_.

When he stopped, Kiku was glad to notice that he no longer felt light-headed, even as he moved to where Yong Soo had left the PSP; turning it on, he scowled at the realisation that his cousin _had_ been cheating. He put it back down with a mutter before leaving the room.

As he walked down the hallway, he took the chance to observe his family's choice of name plates; there was little use for them though, as walking into the wrong room was close enough to forfeiting one's right to live.

Either way, Taiwan had chosen to hang her dream catcher in plain view, while Hello Kitty threatened to stare into his soul (perhaps that was why Yao had stuck it to his door. It was definitely unsettling enough); Vietnam had made shadow puppets of a panda, an elephant, and a person on a boat, while Kiku continued to be at a complete loss as to what Yong Soo had taped to his door. As he tilted his head and squinted, he decided that not knowing was the preferable option.

Perhaps it was wrong to think in such a way, as his personal choice of decoration could also be considered questionable at best. He did not agree with them, of course, but his family had long since decided that the obsession with 2D could stay in his room, far away from the rest of the world.

Turning away from the sight, he pushed on. With each step towards the staircase, Kiku became aware of the still-present pain from his wounds, though it was no longer life-threatening. _Just down the stairs_, he decided, seeking a reason for his current actions that went beyond 'I was bored', _make sure there's enough food in the house and nothing's expired yet_.

Not the best excuse in the world, but it would hold for the time being. Keeping a firm grip on the railing, Kiku walked down the stairs, counting each step as he did so – _three, four, five _(the pain increased, just a little) – until he reached the landing.

It was there that he had to pause, taking a seat on the final step as he resisted the urge to clutch his chest. Doing such a thing would only cause more pain, while he hoped that none of the wounds had reopened. If they had, no excuse in the world would be enough to prevent the rest of the family biting his head off.

Slowly – too slowly, really – the pain seemed to fade into something more bearable, though Kiku continued to stare up at the ceiling a moment longer. He had pushed himself too hard, but at the same time he could not just drag himself back upstairs and wait for the others to return. To stop halfway was an appalling thought, enough to galvanise him into action.

He clutched the railing and pulled himself back up, blinking away the urge to close his eyes and just let the pain fade into sleep. Stepping forward with a deliberate amount of concentration, Kiku made his way to the front door, reasoning that some fresh air would help in one form or another. The handle was cool against his skin, a strange kind of realisation, as he switched the lock and pushed the door open.

The sudden, biting cold caught Kiku unawares, shoving the final throes of sleep off to one side. He shut the door quietly, though there was no particular need to, and moved towards the front steps.

In this position, he could see the small touches his family had added to the garden; a spot of colour in their almost completely-grey surroundings. It had been nothing but patches of green and brown when they had first arrived, but it had not taken long for the girls (as well as Hong Kong) to supply something more to their home away from home. They had all agreed that it was nice to do something they had always done, even though they were almost halfway across the world.

Kiku squashed the pain in his chest – different from the physical wounds; something completely intangible – as he sat down, staring up at the fading light as the sun sank below the horizon. The colours shifted steadily, fading and merging into one another before dark blue became prevalent. He could not see the moon, while the stars made up random patterns with no particular distinction between them.

It was a reminder of how small and insignificant he really was; they all were, in actuality, the entire human race. They were their own blessing and curse, while he could dimly make out the sounds of car engines – drowning out any voices that might have risen to the sky – and merely allowed it to wash over him.

_No different from home, these kind of moments. When they weren't fighting for their lives, they tried to act as if nothing was going wrong with the world-_

He sensed the foreign presence before the meowing met his ears. Kiku twisted slowly, allowing his eyes to scan each section of the garden carefully before he moved on. Unlike a potential enemy, the cat had no problem with rustling through a bush before finding a clear space; meeting Kiku's eyes, it repeated itself.

There was a chance that it was reprimanding him about something, as he approached it slowly. The cat merely stood and watched him, body relaxed and clearly at-ease with his presence. Kiku recognised her instantly, and he bent down to pet her.

"You seem to be rather fond of this place, aren't you?"

The cat did not reply, merely purring as she pushed against his hand, enjoying the attention. She was the same one he had seen a week back, and it seemed like his windowsill had become something of a napping spot. Every day, from noon to four, she would be there without fail; a part of him wanted to believe that it was to keep him company, even if it was an entirely foolish thought.

Idly, Kiku continued to pet her, semi-conscious of the cold that seeped into his skin but not yet ready to go back inside. He doubted that Yao (or anyone else) would even begin to contemplate allowing him to move freely for another three days; something he considered unfair, as Vietnam's wounds had to have been on par to his own.

_But maybe they had their reasons; reasons he chose to-_ Quashing the thought, he turned his attention back to the cat.

"You don't look like a stray…" he murmured thoughtfully, "But I guess it's none of my business, as long as you aren't being destructive."

Continuing to purr quite contentedly, the cat nudged his hand when he stopped, and meowed in irritation when it failed to receive a response. The sound of footsteps in the distance had alerted Kiku, and he watched the front gates – _closed, of course_ – carefully. It would make no difference, as anyone could enter the garden if they wished to do so, but he saw no reason why they would.

More than likely, he was being too suspicious towards the rest of the world, and the person was merely walking home. Their house was like any other on the street, and people walked past it all the time.

That was what he told himself, at least, until he caught a glimpse of the person as they passed under one of the lampposts, looking around as they did so. It was no one from this part of the street, and yet there was something familiar about them which caused Kiku to frown; it was not anyone in his field of work, and the idea that he would remember a stranger from the streets-

His attempt to find logic was broken when the stranger caught sight of him when they peered over the fence. Considering the fact that the gate was not particularly high, and Kiku had been crouching on the footpath that led up to the stairs, he would have been an especially hard target to miss.

And, suddenly conscious of the fact that he was still in his pyjamas (thankfully they were not the Hello Kitty ones that Yong Soo had given to him as a joke), he attempted to shrink further into the shadows.

"Sorry, are you busy?"

There was something in their voice that caused him to hesitate in answering. Again, it frustrated Kiku to not be able to place where he had heard (_seen_) them before, but nothing came to mind; "Ah, no, is something the matter?" Standing up, he waited for an answer.

The brunet hummed at this, as if unsure of his words, and leaned slightly on the fences' edge, "Well, I was wondering if you've seen a couple of kittens. Black and white, grey… I think a tabby was with them as well…"

Kiku resisted the urge to repeat what had just been said – _kittens?_ – and allowed the words to sink in. Not that there was much to misinterpret; "So you're looking for your missing kittens…?"

"Well, technically they're not mine," he clarified, "but since they're still young, I just thought it'd only be right to check up on them."

The fact that he seemed so calm, as if what he was doing was the most sensible thing in the world, almost threw Kiku completely off. He was saved from trying to form a coherent reply, though, when the cat by his feet meowed loudly and slipped through the gate. Pawing at the brunet's feet, the stranger took a moment to pick her up, stroking her gently.

The familiarity between them left no room for doubt, while Kiku attempted to quash the urge to shiver as a brief gust of wind swept past. But it seemed he lost that particular fight, as the stranger smiled apologetically.

"Sorry for taking your time like this, then. If you do happen to see them tonight, would it be alright to give them some shelter?" A small shrug at this, arms wrapped around the purring cat, "I mean, it'd give me some peace of mind, knowing that they have somewhere safe when the storm hits."

"I guess- Wait, what?" Kiku spluttered, taking a few paces forward despite his better judgement, "A storm? Since when…"

Looking surprised at his reaction, the brunet gestured vaguely to the sky, wording his answer slowly, "Well, they said there was a high chance of one happening, and it's not entirely uncommon in this part of the world."

"O-of course," face burning at his outburst, Kiku could do nothing more than stare at the ground, "If I do see them, I can assure you that they'll have shelter here." It would only be for a few hours, he reasoned, and what were the chances of the kittens actually appearing at their doorstop?

His answer seemed to be enough, as it received a nod and a small smile; "Then I better be heading back myself. Thanks for your help."

As they turned away and began the slow trek back up the street, Kiku could only watch after him, frowning at the growing uncertainty in his mind. While he was now certain that they posed no threat – a completely normal person living their life – the fact that some unconscious part of the mind recognised them refused to be ignored.

It was strange, really, as he saw and briefly interacted with people occasionally; there was no need to remember their names or the reasons behind the conversations. But even as Kiku told himself that, it did not seem to ease the agitation he felt.

A name; all he needed was a name to place them, and then he could forget about it, even if that defeated the purpose of remembering.

As his mind continued to draw a blank, Kiku re-entered the house, cutting off the cold abruptly when the door shut with considerable force. Making his way slowly to the staircase, he turned the conversation that had just happened over again; while it had been slightly baffling, there was nothing really _there_ that was cause for concern, though the news of a storm had come as a definite surprise.

The idea of any creature being caught in such a situation worried him, but it was also out of his control. At least there were people who felt the same about the situation, and the fact almost made him smile.

With one hand gripping the railing for support, Kiku ascended the stairs gradually, and it was at the halfway point that he froze mid-step. The conversation continued to echo in his ears, key words springing up on occasion; _kittens, shelter, storm-_

"Heracles?" The name escaped him before his mind had completely caught up with events. Twisting around slightly, Kiku checked himself before he toppled off the stairs by accident, and then wondered why he had felt a sudden urge to go back outside. No one would be there, he reminded himself (almost furiously, not knowing why) and any further strain to the body would have disastrous results.

But now that he had found the name that went with the face, Kiku could only wonder why he had bothered about it in the first place. Anyone could have asked those same, almost baffling questions, and while their first exchange had been somewhat awkward…

With a sigh, he reached the second floor landing and practically crawled back into bed, retrieving the PSP in the process. A distraction was needed, as his mind began to pick apart anything and everything he did or thought about; while he was the only person in the house, it seemed best to keep it under lock and key for the time being.

As the game loaded, Kiku cast a glance out the window, unable to banish the slight sense of uncertainty at the heavily overcast sky. Night had already fallen, and his family would not return for a number of hours yet. Picking up the paper crane Taiwan had made earlier that day, he sought for the others grouped together.

On any other occasion, he would have left the slightly-crooked crane to one side; today, however, it joined the others to make the thousand needed. He was being foolish, common sense insisted, but Kiku decided that it hurt no one to believe in such things; _please allow them to return safely._


	6. Six

**Disclaimer:** Hetalia is (c) Himaruya Hidekaz. This is fanfiction.

**Warnings:** nothing this chapter

**A/N:** Apologies for the delay, seeing as there was no particular reason for it. My brain just sort of died. Anyway, everything is moving one slow step at a time (and then it will explode. Probably).

**Scene Zero  
Six  
**

Despite the fact that the rain could be heard clearly, Kiku pulled the curtain back and peered out the window once more. There was nothing but a sheet of rain, much like five minutes ago, grey predominant while the outline of buildings were reassurance that he was not alone.

It had begun sometime after eight – three hours into whatever mission the rest of his family had been occupied with – and at first he assumed that it would simply fade into a drizzle before midnight.

He had never been particularly good a reading the weather though, so when the wind began to batter against the house, howling like some animal hunting its prey down, he accepted it as it was.

After a restless night, the wind and rain his companion for those hours, he had awoken to nothing but rain and grey. A quick journey down the hallway confirmed that no one had returned during that time, and Kiku could only shake away the panic that attempted to worm into his mind; foolish, really, as they were all adults and quite capable of taking care of themselves.

Once back in his room, Kiku began to dig around for his phone. If they had not returned, he reasoned, they would have attempted to call. Once that failed, they would have left a message. As he pulled the object out from under a pile of cranes (the _tinkle_ of bells accompanying the action), Kiku was glad to realise he was right.

_Mission successful. Staying at base for time being; have to finish paperwork Yong Soo never finished. Food in fridge, don't trip down stairs. Vietnam_

Ignoring the remaining fifteen messages – most seemed to have been from Yong Soo, probably telling him not to touch the PSP in his absence – Kiku sent a reply to Vietnam, mostly to reassure the family that he had not died. The knot in his stomach eased, even as the wind continued to make attempts to reach him.

He would have never admitted it out loud that he had been worried, not to them (his family, who knew his strengths and weaknesses already), as it really had been nothing more than a foolish thought; one born from paranoia and his own misgivings. They would be home soon, talking loudly about whatever they happened to have in mind, and the thought alone was almost enough to give him a headache.

It was a small thing to be positive about, the relief of not having his ears blasted every other second, and Kiku clung onto it. True, the noise indicated life, reminded him that he was not completely isolated from the world, but occasionally one _needed_ time alone.

And it almost impossible in their household, even if the location had changed. There was some bizarre kind of comfort that came with the thought, even though arguments and raised voices were never pleasant at the time.

Obviously, it was something best left alone, and Kiku took the chance to continue moving freely around the house. Unlike last night though, he made no attempt to push beyond his limitations, resting periodically as soon as the body demanded it.

By midday he had taken refuge in the living room. Half-curled up on the couch, he stared blankly at the television screen, which did absolutely nothing in reply. There was too much static, the sound almost painful to the ears as it drowned out the rain, and he hit _mute_ on the remote; it seemed like too much work to turn the television off, after all.

For a moment, he weighed the chances of a ghost – or some kind of otherworldly being, at least – crawling out of the screen, in an attempt to throttle him to death. Kiku eventually shrugged, filing the thought away for further scrutinising at a later date.

Above him, the light flickered unexpectedly, and without the television to mask the noise, Kiku could tell that the rain had increased along with the wind. It was a particularly aggravating fact, as the minutes ticked by, and yet it was as if the weather had stolen the time away.

The notes he had made the night before – some time between attempting to crush Yong Soo's score without cheats and trying not to fall asleep – lay scattered on the coffee table. The remnants of his breakfast had seemingly moved closer to the edge, on the verge of tipping off, as Kiku reached for the paper closest to him. He observed the diagram he had drawn critically.

"No one even knows if the recent occurrences were triggered by humans…" There was no reason why he had to speak his thoughts aloud, though the combination of rain and wind did little to lighten the mood. The lack of a particular pattern between open _gates_ made it likely, as he retrieved the data they had acquired from their former home.

While they had been prepared for the unpredictable upon arrival to this unknown part of the world, the numbers had failed to add up. Kiku was almost certain that the information from last night's mission would not be enough to clear up the doubt, and suspicion, that now festered in his mind; there was something unnatural about the area they had been sent to deal with.

_Gates_ had a particular form, while certain triggers were required for even a possible opening of one of them. As the triggers needed to be refined in a specific way, it meant that outbreaks were generally uncommon, leaving the public completely unaware.

It was true that _gates_ could open on their own, due to a freak accident or some other factor overlooked, but they were rare. They were undisputable fact, something Kiku and the rest of his family had seen proven time and again back at home, but here…

The number of missions they had been sent to deal with over the past month were unsettling, especially as two of them had involved high-risk Levels (one not even _picked up_ by their technology; the best the world could produce, and constantly advancing). Not only that, but his last mission had left a particularly unpleasant aftertaste with the return of some_thing_ they had all believed gone and sealed.

_Sealed?_ Kiku frowned, unsure if it was the correct word to use. His memories of that day were disjointed at best, a lack of coherency and clarity making it difficult for him to piece it together. Rather, he had been advised not to dwell so heavily on it, the same advice given to everyone who had been involved; no one had a clear image of what had happened, and apparently it was best to keep it that way.

Except for the fact that it was _back_ (whatever _it_ was), and any attempt made to recall those horrific moments merely caused his head to pound. Frustrated, Kiku dug a small notebook out from the pile of papers, reading what he had already written.

_Scanner went haywire; nothing but binary. Eduard believes it to be a signal of some sort._

_Sign of gate opening at 21 hours. Clear night, new moon._

_Yao says_ (He could not remember, save for the fact that it had been important; sadly, that alone helped little.)

_Binary stops showing up on scanner. Text appears, completely unreadable. Occasional words in English, but they make no sense. Was _(Another mind blank. There had been map coordinates, but there had been something else that had stuck out in his mind at the time.)

_Summoning? _(The word had been crossed out a number of times, but Kiku could only wonder if he should have left it.)

_Gate was open; location was_

It stopped here, as Kiku snapped the book shut with a muttered curse. He knew, of course, that there was a chance that dredging up such memories would lead to nothing but a dead-end, while the threat of insanity lingered constantly in the corner of his mind.

He needed to discuss the matter with Yong Soo, which would also give him a chance to find out the reasons behind why they had been transferred, as well as the pasts of their current allies. As they had been constantly supervised by one other member of the family – really, it was not like they would tear each other limb-from-limb if they were in the same room for more than five minutes – it had been difficult to communicate about such uncertain matters.

A sharp knock on the door caused Kiku to start, twisting around sharply as a couple of papers slipped to the floor. For a moment, he almost believed he had imagined the sound, but another few knocks against the front door waved the notion away. Unsure of who to expect, Kiku made sure his tanto was in easy reach as he made his way to the door.

The door only needed to be opened a fraction before he allowed his unexpected guest access; "I did not expect to see you here."

"It's this damn weather," Arthur grumbled, pulling the hood of his coat back and almost showering Kiku with water, "You can barely see in front of you; almost ran into some guy on my way here, actually…"

As his voice lowered into incoherent muttering about the weather conditions, Kiku winced as the wind forced the door to close with a slam. As the locks clicked back into place, he turned to the blond and offered a hand, "It must have been difficult. I thought you were at the base?"

Arthur nodded in affirmation, passing his drenched coat over; "Sounded fairly routine, if your cousin is to be believed, though I don't think I'm entirely trusted. Not that it matters, seeing as I'd view anyone in my shoes as suspicious."

"You saved us," Kiku said, careful not to drip water on himself as he found a spare coat hanger, "I would like to believe that means your intentions are in no way harmful."

There was a cough at this, a clearly forced reaction to his words. It might have been due to embarrassment, but Kiku shrugged the thought away, dropping the subject. It was as much for his benefit as it was for Arthur's, as he suddenly felt self-conscious over what he had just said, true as they were.

When they moved to the living room, Arthur took a seat as Kiku cleared the mess on the table, careful not to show anything to his guest as he did so. As he slid the papers out of the way, he glanced back up; "Would you like some tea?"

"If it isn't too much trouble, I'd appreciate it," Arthur's expression reflected concern as he continued, "Though your injuries…"

He trailed off, as if unsure of what else he wished to say, and Kiku could only shake his head; "I've had quite a lot of time to recover, so it's alright."

It was clear that the blond did not believe him entirely, and there was little else Kiku could say to reassure him further. If anything, he had a _reason_ to be worried, as last night flittered back to mind – at how quickly the pain had escalated, even then – but Arthur did not need to know about that.

With the barest hint of a bow, Kiku left the room, allowing a sigh to escape once he was out of sight. Yao's words rang clearly in his mind, the day he had regained consciousness:

"_We don't know if that guy's an enemy or not yet. Don't let your guard down."_

"I know," he breathed (words like smoke; vanishing into air). It made sense to be wary of Arthur, as his entire existence was impossible. At least, according to the information collected over countless years, as people devoted their lives to studying _gates_.

Up until now, the only living beings to come from the other side had been hostile; human but not, the formation of nightmares themselves. They had been creatures with no understandable tongue, unable to completely adjust to the environment. Kiku had always reminded himself that their deaths were necessary – a _kill or be killed_ situation – but the thought that people _did_ live on the other side caused his stomach to twist slightly.

_And what if they had been human, like himself, once upon a time?_

Even though his hands were already tainted…

Kiku shoved the thoughts away once more, as he entered the kitchen and looked for what he needed. The sound of water boiling was drowned out by the wind and rain that battered against the windows, while the occasional crash of thunder broke the monotony.

As he set the tray and cups down, some sixth sense caused Kiku to pause. He turned, as if expecting to see something behind him, but was met with a clear view of the hallway. There was no one else there – and besides that, he was positive he would have heard Arthur if the other chose to approach – and he shook his head with a laugh.

The same moment the lights chose to die.

There was a _thud_ from the living room, followed by a brief string of curses, before Arthur raised his voice; "Honda?"

Grateful for the small fact that it was not night, Kiku left the tray and returned to his guest, "Are you alright?" The question escaped him before he realised how stupid it was to ask that, as Arthur sat on the floor, rubbing his shoulder gingerly.

"I will be," he replied, and it sounded as if he wished to say more. But as he glanced back down, the words trailed off, and Kiku became aware of the scattered sheets of paper that now surrounded the blond.

Moving closer, Kiku dropped to his knees, "Here, let me-"

"Don't touch them."

Though Arthur made no attempt to raise his voice, Kiku froze, hand outstretched. The command confused him somewhat; there did not seem to be anything on the papers, as far as his eyes could make out.

Once he had retrieved all the papers, Arthur spoke, tone apologetic; "It's something I've been working on for a while, and they're a little… flighty, to put it mildly. Also, I don't know what would have happened if they made contact with another existence, so I didn't want to risk it. Sorry."

His words caused more questions to crop up, but Kiku forced them back for the time being; whether or not the blond before him was crazy was beside the point. Other than that, he understood the want to keep certain things private, and they were still very much strangers.

"I'm surprised the electricity didn't cut off before now, to be honest," he commented, tone light, as they both stood; Arthur sat back down on the couch, as Kiku leaned against one of the chairs. There was a noncommittal hum at the observation, a sign that there would be little conversation, and he made to move back towards the kitchen.

As he reached the doorway, Arthur's voice cut through the silence that had built up, "I wonder if there's a point."

"Ex… cuse me?" Kiku grimaced at the hesitation in his words, but did not turn just yet. He reasoned that either he had heard the other's words incorrectly, or Arthur had been talking to himself.

"It was probably nothing, don't mind me." There was something in his tone that warned Kiku of the uncertainty; of something not yet tangible, but still present. All the same, it could have been something that affected Arthur alone, and it would be incredibly rude to pry any further than necessary.

Leaving Arthur to his thoughts, Kiku returned to the kitchen. As expected, the electronic kettle had stopped, and he grimaced at the thought of lukewarm tea. It seemed inconsiderate to offer any guest such a travesty, so he set it one side, hoping that Arthur would not mind.

He dug through the cupboards for a moment, the lack of light making it difficult, until his fingers touched the torch he had been searching for. _And here we were wondering if there was something wrong with Thailand._

As he pulled back and closed the cupboard, a sudden crash of thunder startled him. Twisting around, Kiku regretted the action instantly, as he had been using a stool during his search. He hit the floor heavily, the torch skidding away until it hit a table leg. Hissing at the pain that shot through his body – made worse by his injuries – he made no attempt to move, attention falling on the torch instead.

The light that came from it seemed insignificant, and yet they would come to rely on it. It guided them through darkness, but could be snuffed out instantly; a weak existence.

_Like us._ Kiku almost laughed at the thought. Leaning back, he stared at the ceiling, while the pain became nothing but a dull throb. He would have to return soon, he realised, otherwise Arthur would get worried.

Still, it was comfortable enough where he was. The tiles were cold to the touch, and he realised that his mind had begun to wander. The doctors had been right then; he was still in the initial recovery stage. His waking and forming conscious thought had meant nothing, as the body required more rest.

Something about that bothered Kiku, though he could not pinpoint the exact reasons. It had something to do with the injuries sustained and time already spent in recovery, and yet Yao had reassured him that the doctors had found nothing suspicious during their tests.

Perhaps he was being overly paranoid again, after everything that had happened (question piled upon question until it collapsed on itself). That seemed to be the most logical conclusion and Kiku stood with a groan. The half-complete tea tray would have to do for now.

Even as the thought formed itself, and he moved to where the tray on the counter (retrieving the torch as he did so), Kiku stopped mid-step. Again, some sixth sense caused the hesitation; with a deep breath, he turned around slowly. His eyes searched, though he knew that nothing would appear.

Yet some part of him insisted that it was _there_, too close for comfort, while the thought of some unseen threat set his nerves on edge. Then, as suddenly as it had occurred, the feeling stopped. The same moment his attention focused on the door leading to the backyard.

The abrupt change did nothing to ease Kiku's nerves, and he set the torch on the counter before approaching the door. He pulled the curtain back, tanto in one hand, but a quick scan revealed nothing. The trees were forced to bend, a prisoner to the weather, while the rain continued relentlessly.

"I should have known," Kiku sighed. If Taiwan had seen his actions, she would have reprimanded him; it was one thing to be careful, but another to believe that even the shadows were about to attack them.

About to let the curtain fall back into place, he glanced downwards. It was an involuntary movement, but what he saw caused Kiku to freeze, mind unable to comprehend the sight.

Even so, his hands moved on their own, unlocking the door and forcing it open. Everything seemed to snap back into place when, a few moments later, the door closed and he heard Arthur approach.

"Honda, is everything alright in he-" He trailed off, footsteps hurried as he bent over, "Did something happen?"

"No, it's fine. I'm fine."

Arthur spoke again, possibly asking more questions, but they seemed to be nothing more than a buzz in Kiku's ears. He apologised, even as the drenched kittens in his arms pawed and mewed, voices lost as the storm raged on.


End file.
